Stretch marks? No, my pregnancy nightmare was crippling HAND PAIN: Channel 4 comedian reveals her harrowing experience

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There were certain things that comedian Kerry Godliman was prepared for during her pregnancy — such as heartburn or swollen ankles.

What she wasn't expecting was to end up needing wrist surgery after a pregnancy-related problem made driving and coping with everyday life painfully difficult.

For Kerry — perhaps best known as Hannah in Channel 4 series Derek (where she appeared alongside Ricky Gervais) — had developed carpal tunnel syndrome. 

This is characterised by numbness, tingling and pain in the fingers, hands and even the arms. It can also reduce the strength of the grip.

Left untreated, the symptoms can become permanent and it can lead to muscle wastage in the hand.

Kerry Godliman (left) is perhaps best known as Hannah in Channel 4 series Derek, where she appeared alongside Ricky Gervais (right)

Carpal tunnel syndrome is common, affecting up to 1.5 million people in the UK.

While it often occurs in pregnancy — 50 per cent of pregnant women develop it to some degree — it can also be caused by conditions such as diabetes or arthritis, and lifestyle factors such as being overweight and even drinking too much.

And it's a problem that's on the increase, according to Zaf Naqui, a consultant hand and wrist surgeon at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust and the Spire Manchester Hospital. 

'Partly, there is a greater awareness of the condition, but it's also due to an increase in diabetes and obesity,' he says.

It occurs when the median nerve, which runs into the forearm and hands, is squeezed where it passes through the carpal tunnel — a narrow passage in the wrist lined with bone and tough tissue, says Dr Tom Margham, a GP and medical adviser to Arthritis Research UK.

'This nerve controls some of the muscles that move the thumb. 

'It also carries information back to the brain about sensations in your thumb and fingers and arms — that's why when this nerve is compressed or damaged, it can cause pain, aching, tingling or numbness in either hand, and discomfort right up into the shoulders.'

Carpal tunnel syndrome is twice as common in women, possibly because they have smaller carpal tunnels.

Pregnant women are especially prone, as their volume of blood increases to supply the baby and the increase in fluid can put pressure on the nerve. 

Kerry Godliman (pictured) first developed carpal tunnel syndrome when pregnant with her first child, Elsie, now nine, which showed up as pins and needles in her right hand

While the problem usually resolves after childbirth, it can persist, or recur for reasons not fully understood.

Diabetes may cause it, possibly as it leads to a thickening of small blood vessels, which then damages the nerves, explains Professor Grey Giddins, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon at the Royal United Hospital and the Hand To Elbow Clinic, both in Bath.

It's also linked to gout and rheumatoid arthritis, as these trigger inflammation, which can increase pressure around the carpal tunnel. 

Heavy drinking can cause it as a result of nerve damage. Another major cause is obesity, explains Dr David Haslam, of the National Obesity Forum.

He says that fatty tissues in the abdomen produce chemicals called cytokines, which, in turn, can trigger inflammation in non-weight bearing joints such as the wrist.

Kerry ended up needing wrist surgery after the pregnancy-related problem, which made driving painfully difficult

It's also linked to hypothyroidism, an underactive thyroid gland, as this can lead to poor circulation and fluid retention and swelling around the nerve.

Carpal tunnel syndrome can run in families, says Professor Giddins.

While it is not seen as a serious health problem, it can have significant implications, as it can affect everyday tasks — simply cooking or driving can be difficult — as well as interrupting sleep.

It's a problem that shouldn't be ignored, as the condition is easily treatable in the early stages.

But if it persists, the insulation around the nerve can be worked away and the damage is permanent. 

(The condition is similar to repetitive strain injury — RSI — which is due to repetitive movement 'putting undue stresses on the joints, muscles, tendons and nerves. The symptoms may be similar, but the cause is different,' says Dr Margham.)

Kerry Godliman first developed carpal tunnel when pregnant with her first child, Elsie, now nine. 

'I was getting pins and needles in my right hand, and some numbness in my fingers, too,' says Kerry from her home in South London, which she shares with her husband Ben, Elsie and her son Frank, six.

'My right hand was most affected. A friend who is a nurse recommended I use splints on my wrists at night to keep them straight.'

This stops movement in the wrist that may increase pressure on the nerve. 'But it was pretty uncomfortable, so I didn't sleep very well.'

Fortunately, a few months after Elsie was born, the discomfort disappeared. 

Kerry (pictured) stopped experiencing discomfort in her hands a few months after Elsie, her daugther, was born

But three years later, when Kerry was expecting Frank, the symptoms returned — and this time, they were much worse.

'Both wrists were really sore, and I was getting numbness and pain up my arms, even in my shoulders,' she says. Again, she tried sleeping with her wrists in splints.

'But after Frank was born, the achiness and discomfort continued, to the point where I wasn't able to really manage my life. I drive a lot to and from gigs somewhere in the UK, and my wrists really were not up to it.

'So I spoke to my GP and he referred me for surgery.' If splints don't work, the inflammation can be tackled with steroid injections. 

But if that doesn't help, surgery — known as carpal tunnel decompression or carpal tunnel release surgery — is performed under local anaesthetic. 

This involves making a small cut to the ligament that surrounds the carpal tunnel to relieve pressure on it.

Kerry Godliman (right) and Ricky Gervais (left), taken from the Channel 4 comedy drama Derek

'Surgery is usually very successful,' says Professor Giddins. 

'Occasionally, if someone has suffered for a long time, or their hands are numb, the feeling doesn't come back because the nerve has been too badly damaged. 

'But, in general, we see very high success rates in specialist hand clinics.'

The operation is not risk-free — although rare, these include damage to other nerves, pain and infection. 

'I did have some concerns, as I'd heard from other people who'd had surgery that it didn't work,' says Kerry. 

'But I was reassured it was a routine procedure and I'd be out the same day.'

She had the operation on her right wrist first. 'During the operation, I didn't look at what was happening, as I am a bit squeamish, but it was pretty straightforward.'

However, it was only on the day of the operation that Kerry was told she couldn't drive for a couple of weeks afterwards. 

Kerry (pictured) had an operation to treat carpal tunnel syndrome in her right wrist, which was done with local anaesthesia 

'That was quite difficult,' she says. 'I had to cancel gigs, and the ones I couldn't my dad had to drive me there and back.

'Although the operation was a success, and the pain went, I rather wish I had been better informed about what I needed to do. 

'Because adjusting to life after the first operation was such a palaver, I put off getting my left wrist fixed for ages, even though it had actually worked well on my right.'

Kerry tried acupuncture to see if that would help. It didn't, so, two years ago, she had her other wrist done. 

'I was much better prepared and the children were older, so it worked out much better.'

The surgery resolved the issue for Kerry, who says: 'I did a stand-up show where I talked about carpal tunnel syndrome and how it had affected me as I tried to juggle my career with being a wife and mum. It gave me plenty of comedy material.

Kerry will be appearing at the 99 Club, Leicester Square, London, on January 27 and 28. For details of her latest gigs and work, visit kerrygodliman.com.